On November 5, 2009, U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, killing thirteen people and injuring more than 30 servicemembers and civilians. Sgt. Joshua Berry was among the servicemembers injured in the attack.

Following the massacre, the Secretary of Defense declined to recognize the mass shooting as an international terrorist attack against the United States. Instead, the attack was characterized as “workplace violence.” As a result, active duty servicemembers injured in the attack were ineligible for the Purple Heart, among other awards and benefits.

Berry, a veteran of the Afghanistan War and a sufferer of PTSD, took his own life in February 2013. His father, Howard Berry, is fighting alongside Judicial Watch to correct the record and allow his son to be posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.